Ice cutting device



Aug. 22, 1961 E. w. GULlCK ICE CUTTING DEVICE Filed Nov. 10, 1959 llllllll A/fY,

mW r A United States Patent 2,997,118 ICE CUTTING DEVICE Eleanor W. Gulick, 249 Pringle St., Kingston, Pa. Filed Nov. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 852,074 Claims. ('Cl. 17518) This invention relates to an ice cutting device.

,The invention is more particularly concerned with an ice cutting device of the type which in operation cuts a cylindrical groove in the ice with a resulting ice core which may be subsequently removed to provide a hole in the ice.

One object of the invention is the provision of an ice cutting device which is of relatively simple construction and which is capable of adjustment for cutting holes in ice of difierent diameters, as well as different depths.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an ice cutting device which is capable of being positively retained in desired position during a cutting operation and which is manually operable.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device for cutting a cylindrical groove through a body of ice and which is capable of removing ice chips from the groove during the cutting operation.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the improved ice cutting device, with certain elements thereof broken away.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view as observed in the plane of line 22 on FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows, the cutter head being displaced at a 45 angle from that shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view as observed in the plane of line 33 on FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows, and showing the cutter head partly in section. 7

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmental elevational view of one of the cutter bars involved in the ice cutting device together with the corresponding cutter and ice ejector.

FIG. 5 is a fragmental elevational view as observed from the right hand side of FIG. 4, the view being partially in section.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view on a reduced scale of the upper end of an operating rod with a rod operating drill brace engaged therewith for manual operation of the device.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, by use of reference numerals, 10 designates a base ring which is provided with a plurality, preferably four, of ice penetrating pointed pins 11 and which are threaded into the base ring 10 and locked in any adjusted position by means of nuts 12.

The base ring 10 is further provided with a pair of foot flaps 13 through each of which one of the pins 11 extends and the corresponding nuts 12 hold the foot flaps 13 in position on the base ring 10.

The base ring 10 is provided with four upwardly projecting posts 14 which are disposed in 90 relation circumferentially of the base ring and whose lower ends are welded thereto. The posts 14 may be tubular or of solid rod formation and same are provided with equally spaced apertures 15, preferably disposed in equally spaced relation.

The improved device further comprises four tubular legs 16, each of which includes a vertical portion 17 of substantial length and which portions are disposed in 90 relation circumferentially of the base ring 10. Unitary with the vertical portions 17 are horizontal portions 18 and relatively short vertical portions 19 in the planes of the vertical portions 17.

A vertically elongated square nut 20 is disposed within the vertical portions 19 and is welded thereto, as indicated in FIG. 2.

As is indicated in FIG. 1, the lower ends of the vertical portions .17 of the legs 16 telescope over the posts 14 and each of the portions 17 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed apertures 21 adapted for horizontal alignment with any of the vertically spaced apertures 15 in posts 14 and and pins 22 are removably disposed in aligned apertures 15 and 21 for relative axial adjustment of posts 14 and the vertical portions 17 of the legs 16.

A rod 23 is provided at one end thereof with a square portion 24 for operative engagement therewith of a well known form of drill brace B for imparting manual rotation to the rod 23 about its axis.

As is shown in FIG. 1, the rod 23 is threaded from a point adjacent the square portion 24 to the opposite end thereof and the nut 20 is internally threaded for cooperation with the rod 23.

A cutter head 25 of elongated rectangular form in plan is centrally apertured for extension of the lower end of the rod 23 therethrough and the rod is engaged by a pair of nuts 26 and 27 at the lower end thereof which engage the upper and lower faces of the cutter head 25 for retaining same in fixed position on the rod for rotation therewith.

As is indicated in FIG. 3, the cutter head 25 is provided with a pair of rectangular slots 28 adjacent each end thereof, with one pair of slots being disposed in one edge of the head and the other pair of slots disposed.

in the opposite edge thereof.

A cutter bar 29 has the upper end thereof disposed in a slot 28 of each pair thereof, which, as shown in FIG. 3, are the outermost slots, and the cutter bars 29 are retained in position by means of clamp blocks 30, each of which is removably retained in position by means of a pair of bolts 31 which extend through the block and are threaded into tapped apertures 32 in the head 25.

, As is indicated in FIG. 3, a pair of tapped apertures 32 are provided for each of the innermost slots 28 whereby the cutter bars 29 may be disposed nearer the axis of the rod 23 for a purpose later to appear.

Each of the cutter bars 29 is provided with a rectangular recess 33 at the lower end thereof, as is indicated in FIG. 5, for reception of a corner portion of a cutter 34, which is of rectangular block formation and which is apertured as at 35 for reception of a bolt 36 which extends through the aperture 35 and whose end portion is threaded into the bar 29 adjacent the lower end thereof for retaining the cutter in the recess 33.

Each of the cutters 34 is hollow grooved horizontally adjacent the lower end thereof, as indicated at 37, and vertically as indicated at 38 with the provision of sharp cutting horizontal and vertical edges 39 and 40.

As is indicated in FIG. 4, the cutters are of greater width than the cutter bars 29 and the cutters extend substantially one-half their lengths below the cutter bars.

Each of the cutter bars 29 is provided with an ice chip ejector which comprises a substantially semi-tubular member 41 having the concave side thereof disposed in the direction of rotation of the cutter bars 29, the lower end of the ejector being retained in engagement with the cutter 34 by the bolt 36 and being of substantially the same length as the cutter bar 29.

The upper ends of the members 41 are provided with tongues 42 which are disposed between the cutter bars 29 and the clamp blocks 30 for retention thereby.

In operation of the device, same is positioned on a body of ice in a desired location for the cutting of a hole therein.

In the positioning of the device, the pointed pins 11 Ikiented Aug. 22, 1961 will be forced into the ice under weight of an operator whose feet rest upon the flaps 13 and who engages the bit B which has been engaged with rod 23 and imparts rotation to the rod 23 with a resulting downward movement of the cutter bars 29 and the cutters 34 which, in their rotation about the axis of rod 23, cut a cylindrical groove in the ice and during the cutting operation the members 41 deflect ice chips from the groove for maximumefficiency in the cutting operation.

While the members 41 are somewhat narrower than the cutters 34, the angularity of such members relative to the cutter bars 29 will cause ice chips to move upwardly therein upon rotation of the cutters and due to centrifugal action such chips will be thrown laterally outwardly of the groove being cut.

The resulting ice core may be removed from the hole by lifting same upwardly by any desired means or same may be pushed under the body of ice.

If desired, a cylindrical groove may be cut only partially through the ice making provision for disposing the lower end of a cylindrical container therein.

Should it be desired to cut a hole in the ice at a less diameter, it is necessary only to remove the cutter bars 29 from the outermost slots 28, as shown, and dispose same within the innermost slots 28 with corresponding displacement of the clamp blocks 30.

Furthermore, if it becomes necessary to cut a hole in thicker ice, an adjustment of the posts 14 and legs 16 may be eifected together with cutter bars 29 of greater length.

Having set forth the invention in accordance with a preferred structural embodiment thereof, what is claimed and desired to be secured by U.S. Letters Patent is:

1. An ice cutting device comprising a flat base ring, ice penetrating means supported by said ring for maintaining same in fixed horizontal position on a body of ice from which a circular piece of ice is to be cut, leg members extending upwardly from said base ring and being secured thereto, an internally threaded rectangular nut disposed centrally of the upper ends of said legmembers and being rigidly secured thereto, an elongated manually operable threaded rod extending vertically through said nut, an elongated horizontally disposed cutter head supported centrally thereof by the lower end of said rod, a vertically elongated cutter bar supported by said head adjacent each end thereof and depending therefrom, and an ice cutter of generally rectangular block form supported on the lower end of each cutter bar for circular movement within said base ring.

2. An ice cutting device according to claim 1, wherein said leg members each comprise an outer elongated vertical portion, an upper horizontal inner portion of less length than said vertical portion and a second vertical portion of less length than said horizontal portion and in spaced relation to said first vertical portion, and said second vertical portions being secured to the respective outer faces of said nut in surrounding relation to said threaded rod and parallel thereto.

3. An ice cutting device according to claim 1, wherein said leg members are of tubular formation and said base ring being provided with a plurality of posts telescopically engaged within the lower ends of said leg members, and means for effecting adjustment between said posts and said leg members for the cutting of holes of different depths.

4. An ice cutting device according to claim 1, wherein each of said cutters comprises a vertically elongated rectangular block, means for supporting said block at the lower end of a corresponding cutter bar with substantially one-half the length of the cutter block projecting below the cutter bar and cutting edges at the lower end of said cutting bar and at one side thereof.

5. An ice cutting device according to claim 4, together with an ice chip ejector of semi-tubular formation cooperating with each of said cutter bars and having the upper end thereof secured to said cutter head and the lower end thereof secured to the corresponding cutter block and said ice ejector having the convex surface thereof opposed to the cutter bar but at an angle thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 31,469 Manley et a1. Feb. 19, 1861 644,876 Shevlin Mar. 6, 1900 1,017,416 Jenney l Feb. 13, 1912 1,805,898 Wright et a1 May 19, 1931 1,848,192 Newman Mar. 8, 1932 2,386,266 Robertson Oct. 9, 1945 2,692,757 Fo'lstad Oct. 26, 1954 

